Cloth-clamp.



J. T. FOSTER.

CLOTH CLAMP.

APPLICATION men MAY 26. I915.

1,159,755. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

TfG l I Ullllll INVENTOR 6' x '2 WITNESSES 5 (9%] 9 0% ATTORN EY JOHN T. FOSTER, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNQR- TO H. W. BU-TTERWORTH, &

SONS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF: PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed May 26, 1915. Serial N 0; 30,687.

To all-whom it may concern.

Be it knownthat I, JOHN T. FosTnR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of lVilmington, county of New Castle, and State of Delaware, have invented an Improvement in Cloth-Clamps, of which; the following is a specification.

In automatic cloth clamps as commonly employed in tentering and other machines for grasping the selvages when stretching or otherwise treating cloth, and especially in those characters of clamps in which an automatic tripping device is used for insuring the proper gripping of the. cloth, there is tendency to soil the cloth by grease,- from the tripping device beingwiped upon; the: cloth by the sliding of the latter under the trip pingdevice in setting the clamp, the grease or oil referred to being received upon the tripping device-from the oiled hinges of the chain links which carry the clamps.

The object of my invention therefore, is-to provide a construction, of automatic clot-h clamp in which: the tripping device is so shielded and guarded against receiving grease from the chain links that thenormal operation of the device may be; performed without danger of injury to the cloth.

lVith the above and.- other objects in view, the nature of which. will be more fully understood from the description hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction of cloth clamp. as, hereinafter more fully described and defined in. the claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure, 1 is a ront elevation of a cloth clamp: and a, portion of the chain embodying my invention; Fig. 2,. is a transverse sectional View of they same taken on lineiw-wa of Fig. 1;; Fig. 3 of the, clampplate is an inverted plan view and shield of the clamp; and Fig. at 1s; a perspective view illustrating the clamp plate and shield before being assembled into a uni;- tary structure. Fig. 5 is a view in section-of a modified form of the shield with? integral extensions. 7

2, 2 represent links of a chain and are jointed together by means of hinge pins 3 of any suitable construction. The; joints of these hinges are usually oilfed or greased, as will be understood. A portion of the links along the length of the chain: (preferably every other link) may be provided with a.

suitable cloth clamping mechanism as illustrated. As shown, the upper part of the link is formed with a bed 4 upon which is suitably securedthe clamping plate 6 forming one of the jaws of the clamp. The clampmg plate 6-may be made with a flange at one side fitting over the edge-of the bed and also provided with downwardly extending taperedpins or lugs 8 which fit into corresponding holes in the bed to properly position and hold the plate in proper relation with the bed". The bed is formed with an aperture 5 and the plate. 6 is, provided with a downwardly extending shield portion 9 which extends into the slotted portion 5 of the: bed, as will be, clearly understood from the drawing. In the preferred form of the construction, the shield is madeofpressed sheet metal of the general shape illustrated in. Figs, 2, and 4 to form a semi-cylindrical chamber; This shield portion -9. isadjusted in the aperture 7 'in the clamping plate; 6, and, is soldered or brazed therein at 10 so that it becomes a unitary part of the plate. Thesh-ield forms, pocket extending below the upper surface of the plate, and shields the; cloth and the tripping device 15 against receiving grease or oil which may work along the chain from the journals thereof. The upper part of thebed is provided with an overhanging arm 11 upon which; is pivoted.- the movable clamping jaw 12 having the clamping edgev 13 for gripping the cloth. This pivoted j aw 12 is rovided' with: a rearward lug; 14 in which .is pivoted at 16-the automatic tripping finger or dog: 15'. As shown in Fig. 2, this dog has; the contacting finger 15- directed toward the clamping edge 13' of. the jaw and be tweenit and the hinge 1.6, and also has a rearward portion 17 which acts as a counterweight; and; also a fulcrum forthe tripping finger in the'normal operation of the apparatus.

18 is a projection or stop to limit the amount of movementto the tripping finger when; Released. from the cloth.

In the. peration of the clamp, the; cloth jaw 12 is held clear of the cloth. As the cloth is drawn from under the tripping finger, the end 15 drops down to the dotted position, and this releases and pulls down the jaw 12 so that it assumes the clamping position indicated in dotted lines, to clamp the selvage near the edge of the cloth. lVhere there is no shield 9, the tripping finger 15 extends down through the aperture 5 of the bed of the clamp, and is in position to come in contact with grease or oil either dropping or working along the surface of the chain. It will be understood that as these chains pass about guide rollers at each end, there are various positions assumed which are liable to cause the oil or grease to become extended over the surface of the chains and ultimately reach the tripping finger. As the chains come around into a position to grip the cloth, the clamp 12 has its lower part thrown backward to lift the finger clear of the entering cloth, after which the clamp is allowed to assume the position shown in Fig. 2 and with the tripping finger 15 resting upon the surface of the cloth, and thereby be sustained and caused to operate to hold the gripping jaw 12 out of gripping position. If there is any grease upon this tripping finger, it is manifest that the same will be wiped upon the surface of the delicate fabric, if said tripping finger were not guarded against contact with the grease. It will be understood that by providing the shield or pocket 9 in the clamping plate 6 so as to act as a shield for the tripping finger against the grease of the chain proper, the said tripping finger remains clean and no injury to the cloth arises. I have shown the construction of shield or pocket in the form I prefer to make it, as the pressed sheet metal enables accuracy and lightness to be secured, and also obviates the necessity of costly finishing of the interior surface. The union of the edges of the shield to the boundaries of the slot 7 by means of solder completely shuts off the possibility of the passage of grease between the union of the plate and the shield.

While I have shown the preferred construction in which the plate may be cast and the shield formed of pressed metal, it will be understood that I may form the entire structure of a casting or pressed metal and of integral form, if so desired, and I therefore donot limit myself to the minor details here shown. The plate 6 is usually .Inade of brass, while the chain and hedare made of cast iron, but I do not restrict myself to the necessity of employing a different metal in the application of my invention to a cloth clamp, as the entire structure may be formed of one casting. It will also be understood that while I have shown a particular form of cloth clamp in which the gripping jaw is sustained by the tripping finger controlled by the cloth, the general construction of this clamp may be greatly varied both as to the construction of the jaw and the tripping finger, provided the same general principle of operation remains, and it is therefore to be understood that the particular details of the tripping finger and the jaw which it controls are illustrated as an example of an automatic cloth clamp structure to which my improvements may be applied, and therefore the details of the clamp structure itself may be greatly modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a cloth clamp, the combination of a chain link portion having a clamping plate portion having its upper surface formed with an aperture and said aperture closed at the bottom by a shield or protecting pocket, with a cloth clamping jaw, and a tripping device for controlling the time of operation of the jaw, said tripping device initially sustained bythe cloth and positioned above the pocket whereby it may enter the pocket and be shielded thereby from the grease of the chain structure when the aw clamps the cloth.

2. In a cloth clamp, a chain link structure having a bed formed. with an aperturethrough the same, combined with a clamping plate fitting the bed and having a pocket opening through its upper surface said pocket having its bottom and sides extended through the aperture in the bed and constituting a shield to prevent passage of grease from the chain link, a clamping jaw for clamping the cloth, and a pivoted tripping finger hinged to the clamping jaw and initially resting upon the cloth to hold the jaw out of clamping position, said tripping finger arranged above the pocket and adapted to enter therein and be shielded by the bottom and sides of the pocket against contact with the grease of the chain link'structure.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

, I JNO. FOSTER. Witnesses:

R. M. HUNTER, FLORENCE Deacon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O." 

